Combined bushing and bearing for shafts of steam-turbines.



PATENTED MAR. l2, 1907.

C. V. KEER. COMBINED BUSHING AN-D BEARING FOR SHAETS 0F STEAM TURBINES.

' APPLICATION FILED JULY 6. 1905.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES V. KERR, OF WELLSVILLE, 'NEW YORK. l COMBINED BUSHING AN BEARING FOR SHAFTS 0F STEAM-TURBINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 6, 1905. Serial No. 268.493.

Patented Maren 12, 1907.

Be it known that l., CHARLES V. Kann, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVellsville, in th(` county of AlleganyandStat-c of New York, have invente-d .certain new and useful improvements in a Combined Bushing and Bearing for Shafts of Steam-Turbines, of which the followingv is a specification.

)ly invention relates to loose bushings which are more especially adapted to sur round a rapi(ily-revolving shaft at the sections which pass through the walls separating one expansion-chamber from another in a multiple-expansion turbine, as shown, for example, in my former application Seri al No. 227,804 and filed October 10, 1904.

lhe objects of my invention are, first, to provide a bushing which is provided with means to lubricate the bearing of the shaft passing through the same and at the same time make a fluid-tight joint between the bushing and shaft and the wall separating one expansion-chambcr from another; second, to provide a bushing which is seated and held in a suitable depression in the several separating-walls` of the expansion-,chambers by the difference of pressures between the adjacent chambers third, to provide a bushing which is not only fluid-tight, but at the same time checks any vibration due to an unbalanced bucket-disk on the rotary shaft; fourth, to provide a bushing which is cheaply manufactured, durable, easily re.

moved or inserted in its proper relation, and reduces to a minimuln the friction between the bushing andthe rotary shaft; fifth, other evident advantages of construction and relation of parts, which will appear from the hereinafter-detailed description and mode of operation.

The invention consists of features of construction which will be hereinafter more clearly described, land particularly pointed out in the'appended claims.

ln the one sheet of drawing, in which similar reference characters indicate the same parts in the several figures, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of o ne form of my im- )roved bushin@r showin@ a ortion of the shaft and a fragment of one of the several walls separating one expansion-chamber from another. Fig. 2 is a similar section of a modified form of the same invention. Fig. 3 is a section of another form of the same invention.

' opening 6', lar 8 and at its other end a screw-threaded Referring to F ig. 1 of the drawings, 1 is the rotary shaft, which supports and carries the bucket-wheels (not shown) and-forming the rotor element of the turbine. 2 is a fragment of one of the division walls of the casing, which separates one expansion-chamber from another and is formed at its central section, through which passes the rotary shaftl 1, with a depression 'or pocket 3, having at its bottom a central opening 4, through which easily passes the shaft 1.

the rotary shaft and having a free-running t therewith is a bushing 5, preferably made of brass and made `annular in cross-section. ln the interior of the bushing and adjacent Seated loosely in the depresslon or pocket 3 and surrounding to the shaft is provided a series of spaced grooves 6 6, which are adapted to hold or contain a sohd lubricant 7, such as gra hite or similar mater1al,which,not only lu rlcates the shaft, but at the same time checks the leak of motive fluid along the shaft. The motive fluid in passing from one expansionchamber to the next stage is of a higher pressure than that in the next succeeding chamber. Consequently4 the loose bushing 5 is firmly held in the'pocket or depression 3 by the preponderance of pressure on the end of the bushing corresponding to'the enlarged opening of the pocket 3.

In the form of bushing shown in Fig. 2 the `general arrangement and construction is the same, only that instead of using the inner grooves and graphite packing I have provided the bushing 5 with an inner pocket or having at one end a flange or colsection' 9. 7 is a fibrous packing soaked with oil and graphite inserted in the opening 6 about the shaft and at the end adjacent to the collar 8. 10 is a follower which passes into the opening 6 and engages the threaded section 9, which on being screwed up compresses the fibrous packing 7. and forces it against the rotary shaft 1. It will be noticed that both the collar or fiange 8 and the follower 10 have a free-running fit with the shaft.

'In Fig. 3 is substantially the same form of invention as shown in Fig. 2, except a yielding and loose follower 11 is provided, on which is formed a collar 12. 13 is a cupshaped sleeve having external threads engaging the outer screw-threaded end 9 of the bushing. 14 is a coil-spring inserted about the shaft 1 and resting on the collar 12 IIO . the turbine, an opening in the depression or' rom the foregoin description of l the structural features an `relative arrangement` of the parts comprising my invention it will be seen that I have devised a bushingwhich' is not only especially well adapted for the purpose of making a perfectly fluid-tight Joint between a rotary shaft and the walls separating the different sections or stages of expansion in a motive-fluid turbine, but owing to the yielding feature or adaptabilit of the bushings in the seat permits the sha 't to properly adjust itself within its several bearings, thus avoiding unusual strain and wear of the parts and at the same time checking the usual accompanying vibration of a rapidly-revolving shaft. A

Whlle I'have shown several forms of my inventiornit will be readily understood that man changes may be made in lthel struc,- tura features and relativearrangements of the parts com rising the combined bushing and bearing erein shown without in any way departing fro/m the spirit of my invention. i Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A combined loose bushing and bearing for rotary shafts of turbines comprising a separating-wall or partition having a depression or pocket opening toward the interior of the turbine, an opening in the depression or pocket for the passage of the shaft7 a bushing `surrounding the shaft and loosely seated in said depression or pocket and retained therein b the motive-fluid pressure Within the turblne, and a -combined packing and lubricant material within the bushing adjacent to the bearing-surface of the shaft.

2. A combined loose bushing and bearing for rotary shafts of turbines comprising a separating-wall or partition having a depression orpocket opening toward the interior of pocket for the'passage of the shaft, a bushing surrounding the shaftand loosely seated in said depression or pocket and retained therein by the motive-fluid pressure within the turbine, a combined packing and lubricant material within the bushing and adjacent to and in contact with the shaft, and means for compressing and forcing thecombined packing and lubricant material against the shaft.

3. A combined loose bushing and vbearing 'the turbine, an opening in the depression or sleeve surroundin the threads on the for rotary shafts of turbines, comprising a separating-Wall or partition having a depression .or pocket opening toward the -vinterior of pocket, for the passa e ofthe shaft, a bushing surrounding the slxaft and loosely seated 1n said depression or pocket and retained therein by motive-Huid ressure within the turbine, a combined pac "g and lubricant 4 material within the bushing adjacent to and in contact with the shaft and means yieldin ly compressing the combined packing and lu ri'cant material against the shaft.

4. A combined yloose bushing` and bearin for rotary shafts comprising aseparating-wa L or partition having a depresslon or ocket,

an opening inthe depression or poc et for the passage of the shaft, la bushing ysurrounding the shaft and loosely seated in said de- 7y pression and retained therein by motiveuid pressure, a collar on the inner side and at one end of theloose bushi section 'on the other end of thgushing from that ofthe collar, a combined packing and lubricant material within the bushing adjacent to and in contact with the shaft and means enga ing the threaded sections for compressing an confining the combined acking and lubricant materialv within .the ushing and against the shaft. y

5; A combined loose bushing and bearing for rotary shafts comprising aseparating-wal or partition having a depression or pocket, an opening in the de ression orv pocket 'for 9o t, a bushing surroundj the passage of the sha ing the shaft and loosely seated in said depression or pocket and retained therein by motive-fluid pressure, a collar onfthe inner side and at one end of the bushing, a threadedsection on the other end .ofthe bushin from that of the collar., a screw-threaded the 4shaft andengaging n testimony whereof I affix my signature I in presence of two witnesses. l

CHARLES V. KERR.'

Witnesses:

'Vi/M. D. APPLEBEE, v .V. R.' BRUER.

a threaded ushing, a follower loosely I OO- 

